The Mighty Angels of Daniel 9: Desecration of the Third Temple

MP3: The Mighty Angels of Daniel 9 Concluded

Hosts: Nathan Jones & Vic Batista

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Desecration of the Third Temple

Nathan Jones: When the Rapture will happen, nobody knows, so there is the possibility that the Gog-Magog War could be waged before the Rapture. I find that scenario hard to believe, though, because God reacts to Israel’s apparent demise supernaturally. God personally defeats Israel’s enemies, and for the sole purpose of making the whole world know Jehovah is God. God is not using the Church to proclaim His existence, instead He is using Israel, clearly a shift in focus from the Church to Israel. To me that speaks of a change in dispensations from the Church Age to the Tribulation.

The Jews building the Third Temple could happen while the Church remains on earth. The Third Temple must be rebuilt so that the Antichrist can 3.5 years into the seven year of the Seventieth Week of Daniel desecrate it. Daniel 9:27 reveals the Antichrist “shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering, and on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate.”

The Jewish people still to this day believe their sins are only covered if they offer sacrifices. The troublesome dilemma remains — there’s been no Temple in which to legally perform the sacrifices, now going on 2,000 years. Donating financially to the local synagogue has replaced the sacrifice, but faithful Jews know that’s a weak and unlawful substitute.

And so, a Third Temple will be constructed and the sacrifices will commence, but only for a short time. The Antichrist violently shuts the Temple worship down, erects an idol to himself, then sacrifices an abomination on the altar. The Antichrist type described later in Daniel 11 — Antiochus Epiphanies — also sacrificed an unclean pig on the altar, so many believe that the Antichrist will do likewise after he sets up a statue of himself. His False Prophet then orders the whole world to worship the image made in the Antichrist’s likeness, and to take his Mark, or be denied the ability to buy food and necessities.

Such a deplorable abomination carried out so maniacally in the Third Temple will cause the house of worship to become desolate to the Jews, just as it happened in the days of Antiochus Epiphanies when he desecrated the Second Temple. After the Antichrist desecrates the Temple, the Jews respond by fleeing in terror into the wilderness of Jordan in order to hide away from the megalomaniac.

Vic Batista: Revelation 13 provides more of the gory details about this image and how the False Prophet forces everyone to take the Antichrist’s Mark or die.

Nathan Jones: Yes, Revelation 13 describes how the Antichrist and his False Prophet will inflame the world into further idolatry by demanding the image of the Antichrist set up in the Third Temple to be worshiped.

Just imagine the great peacemaker — the Antichrist — the one who promised Israel a seven year time period characterized by peace and safety away from the Antisemitic hatred of the world, marching into Jerusalem. He massacres the Two Witnesses God has used to share His message since the onset of the Tribulation, climbs the stairs to the Temple, kicks the Jews out of their house of worship, and then desecrates the building by erecting a statue of himself. The Antichrist has the audacity to declare himself as God and the only one worthy of worship. The Jews flee in terror, commencing what Jesus labeled the Great Tribulation.

Satan through the Antichrist has finally achieved what he’s always wanted. He rules both the world and receives the people’s worship. For those who don’t fall in line, they will be hunted down and slaughtered. What a horrific time to be alive!

Vic Batista: We find a large part of the book of Revelation fitting hand-in-glove with Daniel 9.

Nathan Jones: Yes, exactly, especially when it comes to describing the personage of the Antichrist. What Bible readers most know about the Antichrist comes from the book of Revelation, but the Apostles also wrote about him, too, as well as Daniel. This horrifically evil Antichrist, the Man of Lawlessness whose bent on one-world domination, reflects in personality very much like Antiochus Epiphanies, the Seleucid ruler who desecrated the Temple which caused the Maccabean Revolt. In personality, the two men share an utterly depraved mind. Their massive egos know no bounds. They exhibit an utter contempt for God and the Jewish people. Egomaniacal madness exudes from every pore. Satan through these vile men demands the world worship him and no other.

Vic Batista: When people think about power-hungry madmen, their minds focus on Hitler, Stalin, and Mussolini. Surely, these men were all terrible people, but the Antichrist will make them look like mere Boy Scouts by comparison.

Nathan Jones: Hitler killed his millions, but the Antichrist will kill his billions. Revelation 6 describes that by the time the Seven Seal Judgments have enacted their death toll, nearly half of the world’s population will have been eradicated by war, disease, and starvation. World population statistics stand at about seven billion people right now, so should the Tribulation soon begin, that would translate into 3.5 billion people eliminated by the time the Antichrist desecrates the Temple.

Vic Batista: Horrible! And yet, the book of Revelation reveals that millions will give their hearts over to the Lord during the Tribulation, even though it will most certainly cost them their lives. We in the West today just cannot fathom what a blessing we’ve been given to come to know the Lord as our Savior without necessarily losing our physical lives.

Nathan Jones: We in the West live fairly peaceful during this generally persecution-free time of the Church Age. Sure, life can be difficult, and Christians around the world are dying left and right for their faith, especially at the hands of ISIS in the Middle East. Persecution rages against Christians all over the world. We in the West are witnessing a steady rise in persecution, even here in the Constitutionally protected America.

And yet, the persecution of today is nothing — nothing! — compared to the coming persecution of those who will be left behind by the Rapture yet become saved during the Tribulation. The Tribulation Saints will endure an unfathomable level of suffering at the hands of the Antichrist for their newfound faith in Christ. As a matter of fact, the Fifth Seal Judgment in Revelation 6:9-11 describes this great persecution of the “souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held.” Martyrs hailing from every tongue, tribe, nation and people will die gruesomely by decapitation because they will have committed the “crime” of placing their faith in Jesus Christ.

Today, living here in the U.S., I don’t have to worry too much about dying for my faith in Christ. My home resides in the Bible Belt where life for Christians is pretty good. But, if you proclaim that you are a Christian in Iran, or one of the other nations openly hostile to Christianity, you’re begging for a quick death. Imagine living in an age where the whole world will behave just like Iran. The inhabitants of the Tribulation world will scream bloody murder, demanding the heads of the Tribulation Saints.

In the thirty-first segment of this series on the mighty angels of Daniel, we’ll rejoice over the fall of the Antichrist.

Completely Agree with shift in focus from the Church to Israel being shown by Gog-Magog War. In Ezek 39:6-7 the Lord again is calling Israel “My People”. This indicates that Dispensations have changed. The Age of the Church has ended and the Lord is again dealing with Israel as His People again in a Post-Christian Dispensation.

The Sovereign Lord is the God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob (Israel) no matter what dispensation we’re in. The rebirth of the nation of Israel, the repossession of Jerusalem, and the return of the Jews to their ancient homeland all occurred during the Church Age.

Simple mathematics places the Gog-Magog War at least 3 1/2 years before the onset of the Tribulation because the Israelis burn the invading army’s weapons for seven years. That is not possible if the Jews have to flee midway through the Tribulation.

Whether or not the Gog-Magog War precedes the Rapture remains to be seen since the Rapture is a signless event.

Just because the Jews flee, doesn’t mean they can’t take the fuel with them, or have already stored it where they’re going. And, enough Jews remain in Jerusalem till the end of the Tribulation for the Antichrist to besiege.

Dr. Ron Rhodes’ book Northern Storm Rising is an excellent resource for all the different dating theories for when the Gog-Magog War could happen.

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Lamb & Lion Ministries was established for the purpose of proclaiming the soon return of Jesus. We do not believe it is possible to know the date when Jesus will return. But we do believe it is possible to know the season of the Lord's return, and it is our conviction that we are living in that season...